


What happens in the taproom

by pbhandari



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Developing Friendships, Eventual Happy Ending, M/M, Romantic Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 10:33:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13902210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pbhandari/pseuds/pbhandari
Summary: Caleb finds it harder and harder to restrain himself while Fjord Discovers his magic and Explores Caleb's past.





	What happens in the taproom

Caleb watched with dread as a shadow enter the taproom. He would have welcomed it, had it belonged to anyone else. Anyone who hadn't been the bane of existence, anyone whose presence didn't cause him to reconsider his choices, anyone who didn't make him reach inward for that control that he only needed in the heat of battle, anyone who didn't make him happy that he had decided to follow this rag-tag group of people in their adventure.

Thump!!

During his reverie, Fjord had managed to grab a tankard of ale and join him in the table.

"Uhh, hope you don't mind if I join you"

"No, please. I'm certainly happy for some company"

Caleb finally puts the book away, although even he had to admit that it was pointless trying to read once he saw Fjord coming down. He'd known Fjord would be an issue for him early on, even when has taking his first bath in ages, all he could think about was how much he'd enjoy seeing that Sailor share that water with him -- Caleb shakes his head and stops his thoughts from reaching places that are best left unexplored.

"Anything in particular you wanted to talk about, Fjord" he asks, hoping desperately for something through he could control his thoughts. Something to stop his mind going toward the nimble hand, the humble mind, the -- He shakes himself awake again.

" -- your help in understanding myself" Fjord begins. "As you know, I'm relatively new to magic". He takes off his empty scabbard and leans it against the table. "I'm a soldier, a sailor, not a ... a ... magician. A part of me knows, it ... understands what I am".

"The other part, it can't walk out of the room without an empty scabbard. It reaches for the scabbard when I know it should be summoned. And ... and ...". Fjord pauses, runs his fingers through his luscious beautiful -- _Now you stop that Caleb Widoghast, he needs your help not your drool_ " -- at a loss on how to meld those two parts into one. You seem to have a... good grasp on your magic. I need to know, how do you do it? How are you so comfortable with your magic? Were you born into it? I need to know how I work, I don't want to be a burden to you guys like I was against these Gnolls. I want to be able to do what you were able to do against those guys."

"I'll be honest" Caleb replies, "I don't think you'll be able to do what I can". _Shit fuck, shit!, why'd you make him sad you asshole_.

"Let me clarify", he added quickly, noticing the slumping shoulders "we find and use magic through different means.". Pausing to gesture for a re-fill, he continued. "You get your magic, I presume through this sword, yes?"

"Yeah, I think so, I mean, the timeline makes sense". Fjord mulled over his next sentence, "As I said, I was the only survivor from a shipwreck, the only other survivor ... " Fjord looks down at the scabbard as a greenish-blue glow surrounds it briefly. Briefly the glow clears, revealing a Falchion sitting atop the scabbard dripping seawater in the taproom floor. "Damn" he says, dismissing it quickly. "I meant to materilize that in the scabbard".

"Yes, that's something you'll have to get used to, I feel. The sword has a mind of it's own and I feel it prefers to not be contained unless necessary, have you named it yet?"

"No, nothing I can think of fits it, so I'll think on it a bit more I think. A weapon of this power and magnitude, deserves some respect I feel."

"I think the sword is going to appreciate your respect, Fjord." He smiles lovingly and continues, "As I was saying, while my magic comes from years of studying, and my book.  Yours comes from that sword, and should just be a matter of comfort for you. Soon you'll learn how to use your as-yet-unnamed sword as well as I can my spellbook and Frumpkin. I would have summoned him if he was a cat, but for now he's not here"

"So, if you don't mind me asking, how long did it take you to learn this magic? How did you know you could? How come you've taken to conning people out of their money when you can sell your skills for a lot more?"

Caleb smiled, put the book away and drank from his newly refilled tankard. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours" He said, leaning forward with a glint in his eye.


End file.
